U.S. President Joe Biden looked momentarily confused when asked about the needs of states affected by the epidemic. Hurricane Helen during his visit to storm-affected areas. When a reporter asked about this storm zoneBiden responded, “Oh, the storm zone? I don’t know which storm you’re talking about, they’re getting what they need and they’re happy.”
Biden’s remarks came as he toured areas severely affected by Hurricane Helene. His second visit to the southeastern states.
Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across multiple states, flooding towns, damaging infrastructure and devastating communities. Roads remain blocked, there are widespread power outages and water services are disrupted. Many regions are facing a long and difficult recovery.
Official figures confirm at least 212 deaths North CarolinaSouth Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. North Carolina in particular has seen more than half of its deaths as the state battles an unprecedented outbreak. flood disaster Described as “post-apocalyptic.”
“I see you, I hear you, I grieve for you — and I promise you, we have your back,” Biden assured residents during a visit to Thunder City, Georgia, where he surveyed local mountains. Losses on walnut farms.
Biden visited Florida’s Gulf Coast, where Helen made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of up to 140 mph. He visited the site of the disaster and walked through the rubble of destroyed homes on Keaton Beach. “Houses have been razed to the ground and entire islands have disappeared,” he said after the visit, vowing that federal aid would continue to be provided to those affected.
Despite an extensive response, including thousands of federal workers and National Guard members assisting local authorities, the death toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.
During a visit to North Carolina, Biden spoke of the link between climate change and increasing storms and said anyone who denies the climate crisis “must be brain dead.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump criticized the administration’s response to the storm, falsely claiming that federal funds were being depleted by spending on immigrants, a statement that was widely questioned.
